Death toll from rockslides in Nepal and Tibet rises; hundreds of bodies recovered, missing persons exceed 1,300

The death toll from the devastating floods that struck a border region between Nepal and China has risen to at least 300, while authorities estimated the number of missing persons at more than 1,300, including approximately 400 foreign tourists, according to Nepalese authorities.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Chinese authorities as saying that three people died in the Tibet Autonomous Region, noting that 558 people remained missing on its territory. The United States Geological Survey stated that the floods were caused by a landslide powerful enough to generate a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, along with soil slides.

The floods swept through the Trishuli River valley in Nuwakot district, north of Kathmandu, as well as the Bhote Koshi River valley in the eastern part of the Nepalese capital. In a verified surveillance video, a large multi-story building and people attempting to flee are seen suddenly engulfed by raging torrents. Another verified clip shows a massive tsunami-like wave rushing toward a car park overlooking a river, sweeping away buses and destroying buildings.

Nepalese police reported in a statement that up to 332 bodies had been recovered from flood-affected areas. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said that 27 foreign tourists had been rescued.

The Nepalese army is conducting aerial operations, and residents living along the river have been ordered to evacuate their homes. Security forces continue to evacuate families residing in flood-prone areas, while rescue teams search for survivors amidst mud and rubble, after muddy floodwaters inundated the lower floors of multi-story buildings.

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) pledged to mobilize all resources to confront the disaster, stating, “The pain and loss you have endured are not trivial, but I assure you that you are not alone; the state stands by you with all its means and capabilities.” Nepalese Foreign Minister Chandra Prasad Khanal suggested that an earthquake may have triggered a landslide that dammed a river before water surged forcefully into areas downstream. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority leaned toward the possibility that a glacial rockslide on the Nepal-China border caused the floods.

According to this authority, satellite data from Planet Labs indicates that a “landslide of snow and rocks” at the China-Nepal border may have triggered the flooding.

On its part, China’s state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), broadcast footage of raging waters sweeping away tree branches and debris, as well as a submerged road. Approximately 800 rescue personnel, 150 vehicles, police dogs, and speedboats were deployed to participate in rescue operations, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Xinhua quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying, “The most urgent task is to make every possible effort to search for and rescue the missing, evacuate and resettle populations at risk, treat the injured promptly, and minimize the number of casualties.”

Meanwhile, David Fisher, representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal, said that “villages and commercial areas have been wiped off the map,” adding that the Federation would send emergency supplies to the disaster-stricken areas.